The Toy Clown
by zelda3469
Summary: Even after pushing himself to his limits, Allen Walker has failed as an exorcist and fallen prisoner to the Noah Clan. Road is all too enthusiastic. Allen, slowly chipping away bit by bit, only has a matter of time before the entire world falls to its doom. Even if his Innocence was the Heart, and the Order is gone, there must be another way to defeat the Earl. There has to be!
1. Teddy Bears and Dress up Dolls

**So, this is the first thing that I've written for D Gray Man. I fell in love with both the Anime and Manga, and just couldn't help myself. After finishing up the last of the Anime I felt inspired to write something and just didn't really get to it. When I picked up the Manga I forced myself to get something down.**

**Anyway... I know that Allen is the 14th, but this story/oneshot (still don't know if I'm going to write more or not) takes place after the New Ark finished downloading... Well, It never really downloaded, but let's pretend it did. Soooooo... Enjoy.**

On his knees, Allen Walker gazed out at the scene before him, completely numb to his surroundings. His mind was gone, it seemed – buried deep in the depths of an almost dream, where only one single melody played over and over again without end like a broken record. That chamber locked away within his subconscious, hidden inside him where no one could find it, was the only safe-haven left for the boy.

His world had collapsed around him, trapping him underneath a heavy blanket of regret and guilt. It was best to just retreat into the clutches of that soothing lullaby that never ceased and forget the pains of his brutal, harsh reality.

"He's so boring..." Road grumbled childishly, leaning against the former exorcist, her elbow digging into his scalp. Displeased with Walker's lack of a response, she sighed, briskly brushing a hand through her purple bangs. "It's so strange... Someone who put up such a fight acts like a broken wind-up doll when defeated. Huh..."

But that's exactly what Allen was at that instant - a broken wind-up toy. The Noah had their fun with him, beating him physically and tearing him apart mentally before obliterating his Innocents into thin air. They had taken their time, of course, killing off each of his friends – destroying his world – slowly, painfully after he had failed to stop the download of the new ark. He could only watch, horrified, his left arm – his weapon – severed from his body, leaving him weak and powerless.

Everyone begged him for help, for hope. Lavi, Lenalee, Miranda, Johnny, Komui... But there was nothing he could do that would change the minds of the Noah or the Earl. No matter how much he begged or how many threats (all empty, of course) he made, they ignored them like they were just a far off sound in the distance, carried away by the wind. Finally, after his Innocents had been reduced to nothing but golden dust, he let himself slip away into the hands of that melody he and Mana both treasured dearly and hummed together all those years ago. He had to keep himself going, he had to keep himself sane, he had to shield himself until his path was clear and he could continue walking. He needed time to repair the the damage that had been done.

"At least he's still cute!" Road chimed, tracing her cold, unholy fingers along the outline of the cursed scar tattooed along the side of Allen's face. Still, he didn't move, even as those fingers teased that hole where a lively gray eye once existed. "Too bad this had to go... If only you hadn't been cursed with God's gifts, then we wouldn't have had to cleanse you of them... I was always hoping I could come running into your arms to have you catch me." She sighed again, her lips dangerously close to his cheek. "But no matter... You're mine now, and mine alone." Road finished with a kiss, drawing circles around that empty eye-socket. "I love you Allen, my broken, wind-up exorcist," she giggled hauntingly. "You finally stopped walking."

_Never stop..._

He balled his hand into a fist as he slowly crawled back to the world from his own secluded reality. As his knuckles cracked, the Noah of Dreams pulled herself away from Allen, pleased with the power of those four simple words.

"If only you weren't missing so many pieces; then someone could fix you and wind you up again. You wouldn't be like those toys that sit all alone on the shelf, neglected by their owners - but of course, I'll never neglect you. You're like my favorite big cuddly stuffed animal now."

_Never stop..._

He turned his head, glaring at Road between the white threads hanging over his remaining eye. She flashed a sharp-toothed smirk in return.

_Never stop..._

"I haven't stopped. I'll never stop," he choked out.

_Keep walking..._

"I will always keep walking..." His voice became progressively stronger and amplified until it transformed into a resilient shout. "I promised that I would always keep walking!" He shot forward, a tightly wound fist aimed at Road. Cackling, the sly Noah easily dodged Allen's attack and watched as he crumpled to the ground in a miserable, weeping heap.

"I... I won't stop... I... I promised Mana..." he said with uneven breaths, tears trickling down the right half of his face. "I promised."

Gripping the ground with the tips of his fingers, Allen tucked his chin into his shoulder and squeezed his eyelid shut. Drops of salty water continued to leak from the corner of his eye, ran off the bottom of his chin, and collected in a small, clear puddle beneath him. "I can't stop! I won't stop until I'm dead!" He punctuated both statements by pounding his hand into the ground with all the force he could muster from his frustrations.

"Aww... poor little Allen," Road started, kneeling down next to the boy. She tangled her fingers in his angelic white hair and gently twisted those soft threads in and out of small curls. "If only you could understand," she crooned, caressing his warm face in her other hand. Sniffling, Allen cracked open a puffy, wet eye. "We've won, Allen. There's no point to keep trying; it would be futile."

"No, no, no! It's not over!" he cried out, shaking his head until Road withdrew her hands. "As long as there are other exorcists, there's still hope. It's not over yet!"

"Oh, but it is. The Black Order has collapsed. Each branch has been reduced to nothing more than a pile of rubble. We destroyed everyone and every single piece of Innocents we found." gloating, she spun around on the tips of her toes as if she were wearing pointe-shoes - a graceful ballet dancer. "Only a few exorcists still roam the world of the living. It won't be long until they're all gone too." Shrugging, Road chuckled. "Then again, they might not even be worth tracking down. Your Innocents was the last of all the pieces we've eliminated so far. It could have been the Heart. That would explain why Tyki couldn't destroy it the first time... Maybe that's why it healed that hole in _your_ heart." She paused, casually pacing around Allen. His eye followed her, carefully watching her every move.

"There really is a high probability that your Innocents was the Heart. After all, you were the Clown, the Earl's only real threatening foe. If I were to guess, I would say you were the one originally destined to battle the Millennium Earl. It only makes sense that the Heart would choose someone of such importance, don't you think, Allen?"

"No." His answer was quick and blunt. He didn't want to think that he could have possibly been responsible for the Heart. He would be to blame for the loss of this Holy War and the extermination of nearly all mankind.

"Are you sure, or are you simply just hoping it wasn't?"

Silence boomed sonorously around both Allen and Road, the answer to that hanging question twisting knots in the boy's stomach. The unsettling glint in his eye unwillingly gave away the troubling answer.

"You know what... Why don't we forget about this topic for awhile and do something fun? Maybe I could dress you up in all sorts of fancy outfits before dinner. You must look your best for Lord Millennium after all." Road hummed, wrapping her arms around Allen's torso. She yanked him back up onto his knees and held him in a tight embrace. "Then I can try on a few of my new dresses, and you can tell me which you like most!"

Scrunching his eyebrows together, Allen latched his hand onto one of the Noah's arms and attempted to break free from her unwanted hug of affection.

"What the hell makes you think I'm going to do anything like that?!" he yelled, frantically clawing at those arms that refused to release him.

"Because it'll be fun. Plus, you need a wardrobe change." Road giggled, unbuttoning his tattered, bloody coat. Resisting, Allen jerked forward. Road only laughed, still undoing each of the silver buttons with quick, meticulous fingers. "I bet you would look so handsome in one of Tyki's suits. I don't think he'll mind if one or two of them happen to go missing."

"Get off!"

"Oh! And a top hat!" She gave a girly shriek, ignoring him, "I can picture it now! You are going to look like such a delectable gentleman! I bet even Lord Millennium will be impressed!"

"I said GET OFF!" he shouted, jamming his elbow back, intending to land a blow on the little brat clinging to him like a terrified child wrapped around a parent's leg, holding on for dear life. When his elbow met nothing but empty air he gave a chagrined cry and dove sideways into the ground. Still, Road's grip on him never faltered.

Although she was now on the ground, her body parallel to Allen's, she ripped the long blue coat from his body and tossed it aside as if it were nothing more than a worthless candy wrapper. It landed a few feet behind her with a muffled thump and a tiny, high pitched ting as the threads holding one of buttons on the coat snapped, sending the small mass of silver rolling across the room.

Allen once again swatted at the arms trapping him to the Noah and tried to wiggle loose. His breath hitched in his throat as those hands teased the thin crimson ribbon tied around the collar of his shirt before sliding down onto his chest, fingers picking at the plain, gray, woolen sweater-vest.

"Stop this now!" he ordered, kicking furiously, but hitting nothing but the cool floor beneath him.

"Now Allen, it's not like I'm going to hurt you or anything. We just need to get you cleaned up and changed." Her voice was soft, and there was a loving, almost motherly ring to it.

"I don't care! Just leave me alone!"

She ignored him, tugging at the hem of his sweater-vest before pulling it up over his head. Taking advantage of the slack in her hold, Allen rolled out of her reach and scrambled to his feet, preparing for a fight.

"Allen, Allen, Allen," Road tsked, wagging a finger as she rose elegantly to her full height, "You aren't in any condition to brawl with me, and besides, I don't want to fight. You're a part of the family now, and members of this family don't fight with one another."

"I am not a part of your family, nor will I ever be!" he growled, lunging at Road fist first.

"Oh, but you are," she giggled, showing off her razor sharp teeth as she caught the balled up hand aimed for her face. Effortlessly, she tossed Allen to her side and watched as he stumbled, the toes his boots scuffing the floor as he tried to catch himself before plowing into the arms of her stuffed, glossy-eyed toys lined up along the wall.

"And no matter what you do or say, you will forever remain a member of my family - the family of Noah."

**So... Any thoughts? Comments? If so I'd be happy to hear them. Thanks so much!**

**Thanks to LEva114 for editing.**


	2. Sweet Dreams and the Team of Three

**Hello lovely readers! *waves to everyone* So, I've started to get some ideas for this story and I like the way the plot is starting to work in my head. It's really taken off, and I feel like I have a lot I can work with.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy, and if you have a chance please drop a review. I'm always looking for feedback.**

Sleep came much easier than it should have. Almost the second Road pushed Allen onto her bed, he was out like a light, lost to whatever illusions his mind surrounded itself with. She wasn't really sure if she should have been entertained or annoyed. After all, she hadn't had a chance to force Allen into another change of clothes, and she didn't want him to wrinkle that suit of Tyki's.

Speaking of Tyki, he wasn't terribly pleased to see Allen wearing his attire at dinner, but he didn't say much. His snotty comment was rather funny, actually. If Road remembered correctly, it had to do with the 'cheating boy' cheating him out of his own clothes for a second time. Of course, that so called 'cheating boy' gave Tyki a hard stare, the rim of the top hat ceremoniously placed on his head casting a dark shadow over his face. He had looked ready to kill, as if he were a wild animal that had been poked repeatedly with a twig. Road had to admit Allen was too adorable when he looked angry, but she couldn't deny how even more adorable he was while he slept.

He was so weak, so vulnerable to her asleep. She could make the world inside his head the most magical place he would ever visit, or she could force him to suffer in what seemed like an eternal hell. Really, he was at her mercy - at least then - but she had no intentions of subjecting him to that kind of torture at that particular moment. Allen was already traumatized enough and there was no need to shove him further into that corner he kept trying to push himself into. Besides, he wasn't any fun all unresponsive. Road honestly loved what resistance Allen put up. be it an attempt to fight against her with his fists or starve himself at the dinner table.

With a lazy smirk, Road kicked off her shiny black shoes and sank down onto the bed. Sitting next to the warm sleeping boy, she towered over his unmoving form. She watched his chest rise and fall in even, predictable patterns. With a hand over his beating heart, Road leaned closer to Allen and buried her face into that head of white hair, taking the place of the hat that had been there only seconds before. The soft, silky tendrils teased her nostrils as she inhaled his essence. It smelled so sweet, so pure, so innocent. His scent was perfect; no question. That blend of sugar and spice along with a touch misery was just right, and to Road it was an addictive drug she couldn't get enough of.

Lips brushing over that snow colored hair, she ran a gentle hand over the curves of Allen's face. His stone-like body suddenly relaxed at her touch as if a heavy veil had been lifted from his guilt ridden mind. As his breathing grew deeper, his subconscious fell into Road's clutches, leaving her the sole commander of his dreams.

"Pleasant dreams, Allen Walker."

* * *

_Tight balls of wet newfallen snow whizzed through the streets of London, aimed at playful children taking cover behind mounds of white. Giggles echoed around the city, along with the bell tones chiming merrily from tall church steeples. It was a peaceful, happy time of year for everyone._

_"That one looks funny!" chuckled a small red-headed boy as he pointed at the symbol that had just been drawn into the fresh snow. The tall man kneeling by his side smiled as he pointed to the same pattern with his cane._

_"See, all these here make up another part of our song." He turned to look at the boy before ruffling his hair. "Stars like silver eyes twinkling in the night," he quoted as the boy shifted closer to him._

_"It's such a pretty song, Mana. Where did you learn it?"_

_The man froze briefly, his entire body going stiff. The boy didn't seem to notice and only beamed as he looked into his face. Hand still on that head of red hair, Mana glanced down at the characters he had traced into the blanket of white covering the ground._

_"I made it up, just like these symbols, Allen."_

_"Really?! That's amazing!" gushed the child as he threw himself into the man he had come to know as a father, wrapping his arms around the man's torso. "Mana, you're so good at everything!" Allen paused, gazing up into that face that always greeted him warmly, lovingly. "Mana, will you sing it for me?"_

_"Oh Allen... You know I'm not the greatest of-"_

_"But you are Mana! You're the greatest at everything. Please sing it for me." Allen whined, hugging Mana even more tightly. "Please."_

_There was no way he could deny those big, grey eyes pleading with him. That boy knew exactly how to work him and planned to use it to his advantage. "Alright then, Allen. But just once."_

_Clearing his throat, Mana shifted so that he was sitting and the young boy was in his lap. Arms locked around the man's neck, Allen snuggled into Mana's body. He let his head rest on Mana's shoulder, and closed his eyes._

_"Then the boy went to sleep_

_And one or two embers alive in the ashes flared up in the shape of your beloved face," he began in a soft, melodic tone._

_"Thousands of dreams spread over the land_

_Stars like silver eyes twinkling in the night," Allen let himself begin to drift off, the sound of Mana's voice relaxing. It was like a spell, dragging his mind into a state of peace, and locking it in that peaceful state forever._

_"You shining ones fell to earth_

_Though eons turn many prayers to dust_

_I will keep praying,_

_Please love this child and kiss the hand you're holding..."_

_The child was asleep in his arms, his lips wound into a smile._

_"Happy Christmas, Allen."_

* * *

"Mana..." Allen groaned unconsciously, turning on his side before tossing himself onto his back. He could feel the familiar touch of his father - those gloved hands rubbing his shoulders. He could hear that voice, singing the lullaby his father had crafted. He could even smell the peppermint and smidgen of alcohol on his father's breath. Inside his head, Mana was really there, holding him in his arms on their last Christmas together.

Allen wished it was real - that he really was cradled in Mana's arms - but he knew better. It was just a strong memory he had dreamt about. On the verge of sleep and reality, somewhat aware of his surroundings, he lifted his hand up to his head. It took a few seconds for him to register that his hand never made it to his face, or even moved.

Tucking his chin into his shoulder, he looked down at his left arm - rather where his left arm should have been. The flat sleeve just lying beside him coasted him completely out of his foggy state of mind, and everything came rushing back. His failures, the people he lost. Everything came back to smack him in the face.

How could he have forgotten? How could he have let himself just fall asleep and forget everything that had happened?

"I'm such an idiot..." he mumbled to himself. As he closed his eye and let out a sigh, the image of his master flashed through his thoughts. He could picture that selfish, debt-racking man looking down at him as if he were a nasty little bug that would only benefit everyone if he were dead.

_Idiot apprentice._

The general's voice was as clear as day in his mind, and even though the image of him in his head wasn't real, the fear of him was. General Cross had always made Allen feel tense and anxious, figment of his imagination or not.

_Idiot apprentice._

How true those two words seemed to ring in his head. He was an idiot, he really was. How Allen thought he could take on two members of the Noah was beyond him. Road and Tyki were trying to eat up all his time, and they succeeded.

Something next to him suddenly moved, and his entire body went cold. He held his breath as the thing moving rubbed against his side. It was warm, and felt... human. Had he been saved, or...?

"Allen?"

Alright, he definitely hadn't been saved. He was still stuck in the same hellish situation with that bratty Noah. Why should he have even begun to think he could have been saved by anyone? After all, no one knew the location of the New Ark. Perhaps he really was too optimistic at times...

"Allen... Why are you awake?"

Why was he awake? That was a rather pointless question, at least to Allen. He had a dream and woke up. That wasn't terribly uncommon for him.

Turning away from Road, he exhaled heavily through his nose. He wasn't going to put up with her, not again.

"Don't ignore me," she grabbed onto his shoulder and crawled on top of him. In an attempt to shake her from his body, Allen remained silent, continuing to ignore her question.

"Now Allen, there isn't any reason to be so rude. I just want to help you. I can let you get back to those sweet dreams of yours."

Allen shifted again. What on earth was she talking about? He didn't quite understand. As far as he knew, her powers consisted of driving people insane while getting inside their heads.

"Let me see... You were dreaming about that father of yours. Oh, what was his name again... Mana, right?"

Allen bolted upright, knocking the girl on his side of balance. There's no way she could have known that...

"Why do you seem so surprised?" Road hummed from behind him, her arms draped over his chest. Allen shook his head. "You know, I can do whatever I please with anyone's mind. I can easily shape your dreams, and watch them as well." Her lips were too close to his ear for his liking. "If you want, I can let you go back to that nice, pleasant dream of yours."

"No..." Allen mumbled, drawing his knees up close to his torso.

"Interesting... Do you not appreciate pleasant dreams?"

"No..." he said again.

"Then why don't you want me to let you-"

"I don't want you messing with my head." He batted her arms away with his right hand, "I just want to be left alone."

* * *

The moon hid behind the clouds, leaving the night dark and hiding those traveling in its shadow. The past few days had been disastrous, leaving exorcists and countless finders dead. Even most of the higher ups were gone as well. The Black Order had fallen, and those of its members who remained were few in number and scattered all over the globe - from Paris to Edo. Almost all of them were unorganized and lost. Without Headquarters, all communications between everyone had been severed. Those who still remained were unaware of who else might be left. They could only confirm the dead and missing. Nothing more.

Only a small team of three wandering through the destroyed cities of Japan knew the full story, and were up to date with the Earl's plans. They were lucky to escape, lucky to be thought dead or missing prior to completion of the Ark's download.

"We must board a ship back to China. We have to get to the Asia branch," spoke one of the three, a cigarette caught between his lips.

"And where are we going to find a ship? Japan is full of nothing but Akuma," said one of the other three, a hand on his blade, prepared for an attack.

"I don't understand. What's the point of going to the Asia branch? It's got to be destroyed!" sniffled the third man as he wiped his runny nose on his sleeve.

"To search for survivors, idiot," the second man muttered acidly.

"And anything that might be of use to us," slurred out the first man as his fingers plucked the cigarette from his mouth.

"But... But the Earl said no one was going to survive, and everything would be reduced to ashes!" the third man blurted, simultaneously bursting into tears.

"And you really believe that fatass? He wouldn't have been able to kill everyone. I'm positive a few got away." He smashed his cigarette under the heel of his boot. "Many of the Order's members were clever, even more of them cowards. Many of the brave ones did die. I'm sure almost every exorcist stationed at any of the branches fell to their demise, along with their Innocence." He paused for a moment, then continued. "But I'm sure some tried to run away. Members of the science division perhaps; a few of the weaker exorcists. Then there are those who just got lucky, like the two of you... And one idiot apprentice of mine."

"Wait a second... You mean to say that the bean sprout made it? I thought you said he took on two of the Noah and lost." The man clutching his blade sounded rather shocked.

"He did, but that doesn't mean they killed him-"

"Allen's alright! That's great! He can join us again as soon as we find him!"

"No... You don't seem to understand, Krory. They didn't just leave him either. The Earl currently has custody of the boy. I'm sure you can imagine the severity of his situation." He lit another cigarette.

"He can always fight the Earl. I know he can! He's more than strong enough!"

"And what do you propose he fight him with? His bare hands? My apprentice is strong, but average human strength cannot compare to that of the Earl's."

"What do you mean by 'his bare hands?' Wouldn't he use his Innocence?"

"Really... How stupid are you? The beansprout's Innocence is gone. Do you really think they would let him keep his Innocence while he's their prisoner?"

"I... I guess not..." Krory admitted quietly, barely audible to the men on either side of him. "So... what's going to happen to Allen?"

There was a long silence as both Krory and Kanda settled their attention on Cross, waiting for an answer. He didn't say anything as he let the ashes from his cigarette fall to the ground in small, crumpled heaps; he only looked up into the sky, as if it was going to give them an answer.

"General... What's going to happen to that little punk?" Kanda nearly hissed.

"I'm not too sure. There are a number of things that could happen... It's best we just forget about him for now. When we have the resources, we will mount a rescue."

"Rescue? Why rescue that annoying little-"

"We're going to rescue Allen! That's grea-"

"Shut up," Kanda growled as a dark red handprint bloomed on his fellow exorcist's face.

"Oww..." whined the vampire-like exorcist as he quickly scurried to Cross's left and away from the blue-haired samurai.

"Now, as I was saying; why bother to rescue him? It's dangerous, and he isn't worth it. Our time would be better spent building up an army and strategizing against the Earl's plans."

"Oh, but Kanda, he is worth it. You see, he plays a very important role to our success." He grinned in a cocky fashion. "There are many things you don't know about that boy and what he's capable of."

"Even without Innocence?" Kanda raised a brow. "If he's capable of so much, why do we have to rescue him?"

"Like I said, he's only human. Even though he's lost his Innocence, he can serve as a powerful weapon against the Earl, if properly persuaded."

"You're not making any sense, Cross."

"Yes, I am. I make perfect sense. You will understand in due time, Kanda Yu."

**I hope you liked this chapter. It's really beginning to set up the whole story for all the amazingly spectacular things soon to come.**

**If anyone is confused about Kanda, Krory, and Cross all being alive at the moment, I'm really sorry. I promise it will make more sense later!**

**Thanks to LEva114 for editing.**


	3. The Asia Branch and Breakfast

The Asia branch was nothing more than a pile of crumbling rock. It looked as if the years had taken its toll on the magnificent structure, but that wasn't the case at all. The damage that had been done was not by water, wind, or erosion, but by a level four Akuma instead. Of course, without any exorcists stationed at the branch, it stood no chance against the attack. Only a matter of minutes inside the branch and the Akuma had destroyed everything - well, almost everything.

"B...Bak..." whispered a faint voice as its owner crumpled to the ground after trying to get up onto her knees. With her form slowly fading from the world, she mumbled bitterly, "You idiot... You... you tried to save me..." Tears stung the corners of her eyes as the blades that served as her arms suddenly lost their deadly shape and returned to their original, paddle-like state. "You could have lived..."

"I will live," came another, much deeper voice.

Jerking her head up, the woman on the ground froze. Salty liquid continued to stream down her transparent face as she stared straight ahead, too afraid to glance behind her for fear that his voice was only an illusion.

"Fou, I promise that we'll both live," he breathed out, one arm wrapped around his side while the other was outstretched before him, bloody palm facing forward.

Looking up, Fou silently gasped when she saw the dome of rock surrounding her, protecting her like a pair of strong arms. Slowly, she turned her head over her shoulder, and standing behind her was that man with a mess of golden colored hair.

"Bak...?"

"Everything's going to be alright, Fou." He sank down to his knees and let the arm out in front of him fall to his side. Red steadily poured from the wound in his palm and dripped off the tips of his fingers, staining the gray rubble beneath him.

Both members of the Asia branch remained silent for a few moments, only staring at each other. All either of the two could hear was the quiet bombing around them in the secluded dome.

"Bak, I..." Fou started before trailing off, glancing down at herself. "I can't maintain my form much longer." Her face looked as if it were breaking apart, like a picture on one of the glitchy screens that could have been found anywhere in the science division. "There's no way for me to recharge."

Smiling almost coyly, the director of the branch chuckled quietly. "That isn't true." He let the arm around his torso fall away. From the inside of his white sleeve fell several chunks of smooth, painted stone. They landed at his knees in a pile, over the splotches of his blood. Mumbling under his breath, Bak squeezed his fists together, focusing on the rubble beneath his shadow.

"I command you, with the blood that runs through my veins..." He trailed off slowly, his gaze steadily shifting from the stones to Fou. "I command you to piece together and bond, giving our guardian a new home - a new place to rest and regenerate."

For a moment, the rocks only remained motionless. It wasn't until the head of the Asia branch rubbed his crimson tainted hands over the stones that they moved and began to knit themselves together. Watching in awe, Fou gathered the strength to crawl to Bak's side. Her appearance fizzled and faltered as she moved - it was clear that her energy was almost at its end, about to flicker out like a flame burning the last of a candle's wick.

As the painted stones merged with one another a white light outlined the basic edge of the oval like shape they were forming. Tan, almost a pale orange, color glossed over the entire surface of the morphing rocks like a backslash as a thick lavender stripe painted itself through the middle. Smaller jagged lines of the same color then branched out, running along the cracks and imperfections of the newly formed tablet.

"Fou, I -"

"Bak... How did you... Uh..." Her knees gave way, sending her topping to the side, into Bak's gentle hold.

"There isn't much time. Please, Fou, use it. I promise I will protect you."

"But -"

"Now! I can't lose you!" He shut his eyes, hugging the unstable body in his arms as he was a small child clinging to a stuffed animal after a terrible nightmare.

After taking a deep, shaky breath, Fou carefully reached out for the oval table floating before her. Her spoon-like hand grazed its smooth surface, the oh so familiar touch reassuring her that it wasn't over. She was going to make it.

"Bak... Thank you..." The inflection of her hoarse voice began to change from a sense of shock to one of witty banter as she allowed herself to phase into the stone and become apart of it, "...for being an idiot." The corners of Bak's lips curled up, shaping them into a crescent as he laughed softly.

* * *

Breakfast among the Noah clan had been uncharacteristically quiet. Very little conversation penetrated the eerie silence blanketing the room, leaving Allen with an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach - and no, he knew the feeling in his gut wasn't from the hunger pains even though he really was starving.

Casting a hesitant gaze at the plate sitting on the table in front of him, Allen shifted in his chair. As he returned his sight to his lap, his eye caught a shimmer of silver, and his stomach growled like a wild beast. All the others sitting around the table shot him an amused look, but Allen didn't pay any attention to it.

When his unruly, noisy stomach made its lack of nourishment noted once again, he tightened his fist around the loose fabric of his pants. He wasn't going to take anything from the enemy if he could help it - including a meal. Allen would rather die slowly and hungry than play prisoner to the Noah.

"Really, is there any reason to be starving yourself?" snickered one of the Noah as he leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, his face cradled in gloved hands. Allen clenched his jaw, refusing to acknowledge his question. "You are a growing boy, after all..." Tyki teased, his amber eyes focused on the trembling boy across from him. "Isn't that something your dead father would have told you?" He grinned, completely aware of the boundary he had just crossed.

"Shut up, you bastard," Allen spat bitterly, his head still tilted down.

"Oh Allen, that's not how we speak to each other around here," drawled the smallest of the clan as she latched onto his shoulder. A hand suddenly flew back at her, pushing her away with a slap. As Road fell back into her chair, she grabbed onto the remaining nub of his left arm and dragged him down with her. His chin smacked the table with a bang and his teeth smashed together with a crack as he was pulled down.

"Allen... Why would you do such a thing like that?" she whined innocently, taking hold of the boy's bruising face with her other hand. After forcing his head into the proper position, she looked him in the eye guiltlessly. Allen simply shifted his gaze away.

"Yes, why would you do a thing like that? Not only is it rude, but I'm sure it hurt Road's feelings," chuckled the large figure sitting at the end of the table, wearing that huge, eerie smile of his. He looked over the top of his spectacles, waiting for Allen to answer. The boy did no such thing, of course. Getting a little impatient, the Earl spoke again, "I think you ought to apologize." Allen's eye flickered towards him for a moment, a deep hatred and sense of resentment burning in its gray color. "And then," the Earl's voice dropped an octave, giving a serious edge as well as a dangerous vibe, "we can all continue our with our meal."

There was a long, drawn out silence as everyone started at the boy, anticipating his response. On the edge of their seats, they swapped their sights from the Earl, to Allen, and back again.

"No." It came out as a slow, defiant hiss. Several of the Noah seated around the table gasped. The Earl was not one to sass or disobey. Allen's chair fell back and landed in the floor with a thud as he stood. No one, not even the Earl, said a word as he turned his back to them. He clenched and unclenched his fist a few times before he started to walk forward.

"Boy, you haven't even touched your food."

With a cry of surprise, Allen suddenly found himself down to the ground, a heavy mass planted on his back.

"And it really isn't appropriate to excuse yourself unless your plate is empty," Tyki simpered, one hand pushing Allen's head further into the floor while the other held a fine, cream-colored dish overflowing with breakfast items. Flailing around like a trapped insect, the boy sent his arm flying back, hoping to hit something. When the back of his hand met nothing, he yelled out in a wordless rage. Chuckling, Tyki placed Allen's untouched plate down next to the boy's left side. He then snatched the arm futilely swinging back to hit him and pinned it to the back of its owner's neck at an awkward angle. After letting go of the head his other hand had been holding down, Tkyi grabbed a fistful of the plate's contents.

"Get off me!" Allen huffed, squirming and fighting against the weight on top of him. He felt something cold against his back and his struggles ceased for a moment.

"Now hold still,"

Allen let out a pained shout as something phased through his body and touched his insides. He coughed and attempted to free himself out from under Tyki, but he was only making everything worse. Mocking laughter from the others in the room only made him want to get away even more. They all saw him as a powerless child, a joke. Even more agonizing than his current physical torture was this humiliation.

Not that this wasn't without its own kind of discomfort and pain. He felt like too much - WAY too much - had quickly been introduced to his gut in a short span of time. Then there was the hand still inside his stomach; it was moving, rubbing against the smooth tissue lining the inside of that organ as it gently stretched it.

When Tyki finally, _finally_, withdrew his hand, Allen sighed in relief. He twisted his head back, almost expecting to be let loose like a dog after it had been beaten. But then, without warning, the foreign feeling in his stomach returned and his eyebrows shot up into stunned arches. The instant he felt like a lead weight had been dumped into his belly, the boy had the urge to curl up into a ball and rock back and forth like he normally did when he was sick. Cramps attacked him from all angles of his overstuffed organ, and he gagged.

Each time Tyki removed his vile hand, Allen kept thinking it was over, that there wouldn't be anymore, but he was dead wrong. It was like a cycle, really - penetrate, fill, pull back, repeat - and as more and more food piled up in his stomach, the darker shade of green his face seemed to get. By the time the plate was nearly bare, Allen found himself moaning sickly in a meek voice, "St-stop…"

But it didn't stop, not until his body physically couldn't handle anymore and everything that had been occupying the space in his swollen stomach found its way back outside of his body and all over the floor beneath and around his head. It was then that his arm was released from it's uncomfortable bind and the figure sitting on him sprang back to his feet.

"Well, that is quite a mess you made."

Allen remained silent, staring out into space blankly like he had after he had witnessed the death of his friends. He was honestly too tired to do much more than roll his face out his own pool of sick. He really did feel like a toy at that moment - a stupid, brainless toy that had been played with for too long and was in need of repair.

He felt himself begin to slip away, retreating deep inside himself again to escape the recent trauma. It was when his vision started going fuzzy that he felt Road's hands on his shoulders. He struggled feebly against her tiny hands and the need to escape, but he lacked the strength to do so. The last thing he heard before he left was her high-pitched voice murmuring to him sweetly. She was just going to fix him…

So they could break him all over again.

**So, more plot, and a very traumatized Allen. **

**Sorry if it got a little out of hand with the whole Tyki thing, the idea wouldn't leave me alone.**

**So, review if you get the chance. It gives me motivation.**

**Thanks to LEva114 for editing**


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